


Pulled Back To Hell Before Finding Peace

by 0urhappygirl500



Series: Opening Up The Catbox [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa Re:Birth, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: I actually planned to write more, I've actually been planning this for a while, M/M, and I wanted to get something out, ange gets a cameo because i love umineko and because i said so, but I've been leaving this fic since summer of last year, finnally it begins!, i hope i can do the idea justice, see if you can spot her - Freeform, this is a bit sad or at least i think so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 10:03:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17702270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0urhappygirl500/pseuds/0urhappygirl500
Summary: Kaito waits for Kokichi to wake up and tries to help him live despite the world wanting anything but that





	Pulled Back To Hell Before Finding Peace

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15582552) by [golden_redhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_redhead/pseuds/golden_redhead). 
  * Inspired by [Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15582552) by [golden_redhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_redhead/pseuds/golden_redhead). 



Kaito doubted anyone would call him a patient person; it wasn’t like he couldn’t be patient or didn’t know how to wait he’d been patient lots of times! When he was a kid there was a stray dog that wouldn’t even let him near it but after a few weeks of bringing it food and showing he wasn’t a threat it had eventually let him pet it and play with it until it became comfortable enough around Kaito that he managed to bring it home and make it the family pet, after begging his grandparents to let him keep it…

 

Though he guesses that technically might have never actually happened.

 

But he’d been patient with his sidekicks! He thought latching on to the memory that he *knew* was real, that he knew was his or as real as any memory made in virtual reality could be. He’d been patient coaxing Shuichi out of his shell waiting for the shy detective to open up and have confidence in himself, he’d been patient with Harumaki waiting for her to let him in, for her to trust others.

 

Kaito Momota knew how to be patient but that didn’t mean he liked waiting, what was the point of waiting for things to happen when you could go out and make your dreams a reality now? Why wait when you could do something?

 

But sometimes he thought with a sigh there was nothing you could do; sometimes waiting was your only option.

 

Absentmindedly he gently held the hand of Kokichi’s unconscious form almost scared that the action would shatter the smaller boy. It was hard to think that Kokichi was really here finally out of that damn pod even if he was technically still unconscious.

 

He wouldn’t have to wait much longer at least

 

* * *

 

 

He had died among the stars, finally reaching the goal he’d dreamed about for so long his heart filling with exhilaration and contentment as his lungs filled with blood and thoughts of pride and worry and hope for his sidekicks and guilt and thoughts he couldn’t shake for his rival? Partner? Whatever the hell Ouma was to him in the end mixed together in his head swirling like galaxies as he coughed and coughed until he finally closed his eyes the view of the universe being the last thing he saw…

 

And then he had opened his eyes to neon blue and green.

 

It would be a complete and utter lie to say he had anything resembling to coherent thought at the time, and honestly it was a bit of a blur from his disorientation of dying and coming out of the simulation. He remembers the confusion and even some anger though as he thrashed about as doctors and nurses swarmed him almost as soon as he opened his eyes shouting out lists of vitals and medical jargon and trying to see how aware he was of his surroundings at that moment as they tried to calm him down.

 

He’s pretty sure he punched one of them before he was injected with a sedative and fell back into unconsciousness. He hoped he had punched one of them.

 

When he had woken up again they’d explained everything to him, that everything was fake, that it was all a lie and virtual reality and a damn show that he’d fucking signed up for. He didn’t really like thinking about the feelings he felt when he learned that, before he tried to force his mind to think about, to focus on literally anything else.

 

“So Ouma’s alive?” Was the question that was the first thing that came out of his mouth after they had finished explaining everything to him no thought going into it as he asked. He wasn’t really sure why Ouma of all people was the first person her asked about… But it made sense to check; if Ouma was alive that meant that Kaito hadn’t actually killed someone right?

 

The doctor he had been talking to looked slightly surprised for a second before schooling his expression “none of the participants have actually died as I’ve explained Ouma Kokichi included” the doctor told him and Kaito felt something close to relief at the information.

 

Ouma was alive; part of him couldn’t believe it and part of him desperately wanted to. “Can I see him?” Kaito found himself asking part of his mind not truly being able to comprehend the idea of Ouma being alive; not when he could still smell the familiar, metallic scent of blood that was everywhere in the hanger unable to escape it even in the exisal leaving him unable to tell if it was Ouma’s or his own, not when the sounds of his screams nearly drowned out by the hum of the hydraulic press still rang out almost constantly in the back of his mind. Maybe if he actually saw Ouma and talked to him about all this the screams in his head would finally stop.

 

He wanted to talk to the liar anyway regardless of his own guilt just to hear the other boys opinion on all this; the smaller boy always seemed to figure out more than the rest of them, always seemed to know more than he would let on after all and after what happened in the hanger part of Kaito thought that he was probably more qualified in dragging out whatever the liar was thinking about than anyone else.

 

Something unreadable flashed through the doctors eyes before he shook his head at Kaito’s request, the astronaut feeling disappointment settle in his gut almost immediately not really listening as the doctor blathered on an answer “I’m afraid I wouldn’t recommend seeing anyone at the moment since you’ve just woken up and we want to check that everything is completely alright” the doctor continues talking but Kaito’s honestly not really listening anymore at this point, despite apparently sleeping for so long in a virtual reality pod he’s still tiered and he barely has the energy to thank the doctor and watch him leave before he drifts off into unconsciousness once more.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He wakes up nearly an hour after that for the doctors to run more tests him noticing that their thoughts seem to be slightly distracted he finds out why a few hours later when someone knocks on his door and a familiar face he thought he would never see again pops in.

 

“Hey, the doctors said you were cleared for visitors,” Kaede Akamatsu said walking quickly followed by Chabashira. Despite everything that he had been told seeing them both here and alive was jarring he almost couldn’t believe they were real.

 

As if sensing his thoughts Akamatsu gives him a knowing smile “I’m real this isn’t a dream or a hallucination I can offer to pinch you if you want?” Kaede offers jokingly and Kaito finds himself spluttering at being so easily read her smile becoming a bit more obvious.

 

“Kaede-san you don’t have to reassure him that we’re real and besides if he does need convincing Tenko can always flip him,” Chabashira offers causing Kaito to let out and indignant protest as Akamatsu hides a laugh behind her hands, part of Kaito makes note of Chabashira’s use of first Akamatsu’s first name but that’s not really important at the moment.

 

“…How…” Kaito tries to ask not really sure what he’s asking but still feeling the need to start a conversation and say something.

 

Akamatsu’s smile almost turns bitter as she responds “I was one of the first to die remember? I’m pretty used to greeting people who saw me die by now,” Akamatsu half heartedly jokes though resentment is clear in her voice, Chabashira looks at the other girl worriedly before sending a glare Kaito’s way as Kaito puts his hands up in a placating gesture and resolves to fix the situation.

 

“Hey Akamatsu mind telling me what’s been going on? I’ve been stuck in this room and these doctors are kind of useless,” he says rubbing the back of his head nonchalantly.

 

That seems to do the trick as the dark look drains from Akamatsu’s eyes and she nods as she pulls up a chair to sit at his bedside. “Sure! So what do you know?” Akamatsu asks after a moment of silence and Kaito just shrugs in response.

 

“I know it was all fake and virtual reality if that’s what you mean but I don’t really know how the others are doing, you two are the first ones who aren’t doctors running test results that I’ve seen since I woke up. Kaito explained as Akamatsu nodded in understanding.

 

“Well it’s kind of over now, they had the last trial and everything apparently they’ll pull out the ‘survivors’ soon.” Akamatsu told him and Kaito decided to ignore the almost condescending was she had said survivors to focus on another part of her sentence.

 

“The games over?” Kaito said his voice a mix of disbelief and hope while Kaede gave him an almost sad smile.

 

“Yeah, Shirogane was the mastermind… turns out I didn’t actually kill Amami-kun as well…” Kaede trailed off her eyes clouded over with a number of different emotions and seeing the other girls distress Chabashira immediately jumped in to explain to Momota everything that had happened and how Shuichi and the others had ended these damn killing games for good.

 

Kaito wanted to voice his pride in everything his sidekick had done but seeing the emotions barely visible on Akamatsu’s face he decided that the best thing to do right now was distract her, he didn’t know how long she knew that she had been unfairly executed for a crime that she didn’t commit but with everything now finally over there was probably a lot to think about so Kaito decided to distract the her with various small chat and conversation the three of them all talking until Hoshi came to collect the two girls saying they should probably let him rest.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The first people Kaito went to see as soon as he was allowed to leave his room were the survivors, nearly everyone had gathered in the little communal area the hospital had provided for them to greet the survivors who had just been informed of everything that had happened, they were all talking to Kiibo who lived on a computer now which was kind of weird but it was great to see him Amami seemed especially excited to see Kiibo apparently his AI was created by one of his old classmates in the last season, which was another weird thing to think about.

 

When the survivors came in, it was a full-scale emotional reunion Chabashira running to Yumeno before the smaller girl even had a chance to walk through the door the two of them hugging and crying before anyone really knew what to do, Angie seemed to be the one to move back into action first cheerfully moving forward to greet the magician only for Yumeno to hug her as well as soon as the artist was in range.

 

Smiling slightly at the scene Kaito raised his hand to grab the other two survivors attention calling out to his sidekicks “Hey! Shuichi! Harumaki!” he called and even over the clamor of the other students he could hear the sharp intake of their breath and he couldn’t fight the smile on his face as their eyes lit up at the sight of him and rushed towards him.

 

Maki surprised him slightly by hugging him but he wouldn’t complain as he ruffled Shuichi’s hair before returning her hug, he congratulated and complimented them both on everything they’d done, he really was proud of them. Everyone spoke and talked and caught up and it really made a knot settle inside Kaito’s stomach, it was really over and they were all by some miracle together again.

 

Well not all, Shirogane wasn’t there thank fuck, after all she had helped to put them through if the astronaut never saw her again it would be too soon.

 

There was only two things that kept the moment from being perfect because despite nearly everyone being back together again Akamatsu and Ouma were no where to be found.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After making up some reason to excuse himself and a brief search he found Akamatsu hiding out by the back staircases, sitting on one of the steps looking deep in thought.

 

“Hey you’re missing the big reunion in the game room,” he told her catching her attention and announcing his presence as he sat down next to her, he watched as she seemed to try and suppress a grimace before giving him a friendly smile that felt slightly forced.

 

“I… I don’t know how good I’ll be there I mean I didn’t even really last that long you know?” Akamatsu told him fidgeting with her hands trying to ignore the slight frown that was forming on his face.

 

“Shuichi would want to see you,” he told her earnestly but that might have been the wrong thing to say as she flinched at the mention of the detective.

 

“That’s… kind of what I’m worried about…” Akamatsu began to explain hesitantly. “Saihara-kun was nice… but we only really spent a few days together we don’t really know each other you know?”

 

Akamatsu let out a hollow laugh as she finished explaining while Kaito rubbed the back of his head almost awkwardly.

 

“Yeah but you two have a chance to get to know each other now,” he offered trying to sound encouraging while Akamatsu simply shrugged.

 

“Maybe,”

 

The pianist began to look slightly lost in thought again so Kaito decided to sigh loudly to snap her out of it “geez, you’re really moping over here over something like that?” he complained rubbing the back of his head “you and Ouma are hopeless hiding from everyone”

 

With everything that had happened in the game Kaito understood why the Supreme Leader might have a hard time seeing everyone again, the little liar had put them all through a lot of shit but now everything was over Kaito at least kind of understood why Ouma did what he did which meant he wasn’t going to let him just hide away he had a lot to make up for to everyone after all!

 

At the mention of the supreme leader Akamatsu’s head sprung in his direction so quickly he was worried that she might hurt her neck “wait has no one told you about Ouma?” Akamatsu asked her voice full of disbelief and worry.

 

“Told me what?” he asked giving her a confused look as he tried to ignore the dread welling up inside him.

 

* * *

 

 

Ouma would have probably made fun of him or called him naïve for thinking everything was over just because the game had ended. Logically he knew that things wouldn’t end so neatly, that this wouldn’t be some typical happy ending where everyone rode off into the sunset like in an ending of a movie; they all still had a long way to go. They still had to go through physical therapy after being asleep in those pods for so long, there was also trying to convince their bodies that they hadn’t actually died their minds too in a way they’re all dealing with issues and problems the game left them with but still in spite of all that those were all things they just needed to overcome.

 

They were out of the game! They were safe! Well, almost all of them anyway.

 

Kaito wondered if this was a trend for Ouma his own brilliant mind and plans making his life harder than anyone’s should be, from what Kaito had seen it probably was.

 

Despite kids literally signing away their identities and literally having their personalities and memories erased replaced with identities made to be tortured and traumatized in a killing game Team Danganronpa had apparently been incredibly proud about how ‘safe’ their killing games were.

 

After fifty-three seasons they’d all but perfected their virtual reality bullshit and were constantly monitoring the health of the shows participants and were able to pull someone out of the simulation almost immediately after they died. Executions were despite how awful they could be were ironically the safest route the staff knowing exactly when and how that student would ‘die’ and were prepared to pull them out and with victims with all their surveillance they could see the death and murders coming and could plan around that. The most risky was instantaneous death but the brain itself may not really know how it died and so it was easy to bring a student back from that.

 

He should have expected Ouma Kokichi to be an exception to every fucking norm.

 

Thanks to Ouma setting off one of Iruma’s electro bombs no one knew exactly what happened in that hanger only Kaito and Ouma themselves and Kaito wasn’t going to tell anybody what happened, it seemed too personal, too vulnerable though he wasn’t sure who that vulnerability applied to himself or Ouma but it didn’t matter he just… didn’t really want to talk about it with anyone. Maybe he could talk about what had happened with Ouma one day but right now Ouma couldn’t talk about it at all so it was pointless.

 

Since no one could see who died in that hanger they had no idea who to pull out, it made sense since Monokuma hadn’t known who was in the exisal if they had been able to pull Ouma out when he had died then they would have known who was the victim and who was the culprit and they could have just informed the ‘motherkuma’ AI and their plan would have been pointless.

 

It was kind of amazing how effective Ouma’s plan really had been when you thought about it.

 

But since Ouma hadn’t been pulled out his brilliant mind hadn’t been protected from the sensation of dying and so his brain was convinced that he was dead, not just any death too dying of poison and then crushed by a hydraulic press he remembered one of the staff saying how it had been a worse death than anything the people who designed the executions could have thought of.

 

Kaito didn’t even bother trying not to flinch when he had overheard that conversation.

 

It had been three weeks since the game had ended and Ouma Kokichi was the only one who was still in his pod, he still hadn’t woken up. Kaito wondered not for the first time if he was going to turn out to be the only one in his game to have actually killed someone.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Between group therapy and everything else they all had to deal with Kaito always made time every day to visit the pod room and sit by Kokichi’s pod hoping that today would be the day that the smaller boy finally woke up.

 

How long he stayed by Ouma’s side would vary depending on the day sometimes he only stayed for a few minutes not being able to find himself able to look at how small and fragile the supreme leader looked underneath the glass of the pod so different from the sheer presence that he had had during the game while sometimes Kaito would find that he had lost hours just sitting by Kokichi’s side.

 

He wasn’t exactly sure why, because Ouma and him had worked together as partners at the end or something else? He really wasn’t sure how to explain it but he just felt like he *had* to be there when Kokichi woke up, he had to see with his own two eyes that the supreme leader really was alive.

 

Sometimes he just sat there in silence almost like he was standing watch over the other boy in his sleep but lately he had been talking to Kokichi, telling him about everything that was going on and how everyone was doing and how his day had been. He’d read that talking to coma patients could help them wake up and at this point Kaito was willing to try anything. He had no idea whether or not Kokichi could actually hear him but it felt oddly nice to just tell him about his day.

 

Occasionally Amami or Akamatsu would join him in his waiting and both Iruma and Gonta had cornered Kaito to ask how Kokichi was doing; the astronauts daily ritual wasn’t exactly a secret but for the most part Kaito’s waiting was almost kind of a private thing between Kokichi and himself, the doctors and scientists that would work in the pod room simply fading into the background.

 

That was why he was so surprised when nearly exactly two months since the game had ended he had walked into the pod room to see Harumaki sitting by Kokichi’s side glaring at the liar with an uncertain look on her face.

 

He wasn’t sure what to make of it honestly everyone knew that Harumaki and Ouma hadn’t exactly gotten along so seeing her visit him was strange but it wasn’t as though Kaito was going to stop her from visiting it wasn’t like she was going to do anything bad after all.

 

“Hey Harumaki! Here to keep my company today?” Kaito asked taking a seat next to her. Harumaki almost jerked slightly as if she hadn’t noticed his presence until he announced himself to her which went to show how deep in thought she must have been, she almost seemed embarrassed having been caught as she played with her hair a muttered out a half hearted ‘do you want to die?” causing him to chuckle slightly to himself letting his gaze wonder over a bit to Ouma’s pod, they were all done dying, Kokichi just needed to wake up.

 

He wasn’t sure what to say since when he brought his gaze back to Harumaki she looked conflicted her eyes staring at some far off spot deep in thought so he let her work out whatever she wanted to say, he knew she’d tell him eventually. They sat in silence like that for a bit before she finally spoke up.

 

“Do you really think he’ll wake up?”

 

At the question Kaito found himself sitting up straighter almost defensively, “oh course he will!” if Harumaki wasn’t taken aback by the slightly the almost harsh tone of voice towards her then she was by the flicker of regret that flashed across his face.

 

Ouma would wake up, he had to. But with every passing day it sometimes felt harder and harder to believe that the liar would wake up. But Kaito had to believe he would someday, had to hope that Ouma would eventually get out of that pod.

 

He had to believe that Kaito didn’t really murder him.

 

* * *

 

 

With his own feelings that drove him to visit Ouma being so complex that Kaito doubted he could ever put them into words, he’d never really asked Maki on why she would sometimes sit with him in his watch over the smaller boy.

 

But after nearly a week or so of joining him while visiting Kokichi she did give him a brief idea.

 

That day had been like any other with him being slightly surprised to see Maki already watching Kokichi the same uncertain look on her face that she always did as Kaito sat down next to her simply acknowledging that today was one of the days Maki joined him.

 

They sat in silence for a while until Maki decided to break their routine by finally saying what had been on her mind. It was just a question, both somehow too simple and too complex for Kaito to let out more than a slightly pained noise as she asked it.

 

“Why didn’t he just let us die?”

 

The question obviously seemed to make Maki as uncomfortable asking it as Kaito felt hearing it her hair becoming increasingly unkempt as she fiddled with it, when he offered her no response she continued.

 

“I… I didn’t want to think about it… It was hard thinking about how easily manipulated I was and when we were told nothing was real I didn’t think it mattered you were alive and so was Ouma… It didn’t matter” Maki said as she tried to collect herself “… but he didn’t know it wasn’t real, and even if he somehow did then that means he did this to himself willingly… he let himself die at best and forced himself into a coma at worst but he didn’t need to… you were going to die anyway because of your illness but he still chose to give you the antidote… I ‘survived’ because of that” Maki’s eyes furrows before she turns her gaze to him eyes begging for answers he doesn’t have asking the same questions he can’t bring himself to ask.

 

“He could have just let you die and then he could have just let *me* die… why… why didn’t he?”

 

Kaito ran his hands down his face, feeling so, so tiered. Ouma’s unconscious body provided no answers.

 

“I don’t know Harumaki… I just… don’t know.”

 

* * *

 

 

A girl Kaito’s never seen before stands with Amami outside one of the pod room one day Amami introduces her as a classmate from his last season Kotobuki Yukari, Amami asks if Kaito has still been visiting Ouma to which Kaito responds with an ‘of course!’ and a thumbs up trying to show the same amount of certainty and charisma he was somehow capable of in the game.

 

The girl rolls her eyes and tells Kaito to save the jokes for his hairstyle.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Four months.

 

Shuichi and the others had managed to change the world and stop the killing games finally showing that they were wrong. For four months.

 

That’s how long it took before fans started talking about Danganronpa again, before reruns started showing and the popularity of the show began to pick up again.

 

That’s how long it took for the outside world to grow more and want and miss the same stimulation they had just been convinced was wrong.

 

Four months.

 

Suddenly his trips to see Kokichi now also became about trying to avoid Team Danganronpa’s employees who had been cornering them all about interviews and photo-shoots and trying to escape his own voice playing on the TV of the hospital televisions.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kaito was popular.

 

In any other circumstance he’d have been happy about that statement but having people tell him how much they loved his ‘character’ left nothing but a bitter taste in his mouth.

 

Statements that he had once worked so hard to earn; that he was ‘inspirational’, that he was ‘heroic’ how he was able to bring out the best in everyone… it all felt like an insult.

 

But Kaito’s popularity, none of their popularity compared to Ouma’s, people either finding him hilarious or tragic. Theories and analysis and music and art all dedicated to the supreme leader.

 

Ouma’s statements about having a ten thousand subordinates might actually be an understatement if you counted his fans. Despite his loss of love from his classmates in the game Ouma Kokichi seemed to have captured the hearts of fans worldwide.

 

He was consistently on the top of fan favorite character lists for the fifty-third seasons despite being the only one who hadn’t appeared in a single interview or photo shoot.

 

In fact Ouma’s coma might have made him more popular than appearing in the public eye could make any of them, Kaito was getting the feeling that the hospital was getting overwhelmed by the constant gifts sent by fans wishing for Kokichi’s recovery.

 

Enough flowers to fill a green house and crates and crates of cards and panta and sweets and toys, Kaito even saw that some people had bought Ouma stars.

 

It was hard for those not to feel like a punch in a gut.

 

* * *

 

 

It had taken six months but one day on his way to visit Ouma, Kaito was met with a swarm of doctors and nurses rushing to the pod room and Kaito’s heart almost stops when he sees Shirogane’s almost worried face as there is shouting from the pod room to help stabilize the patient.

 

Kaito’s body seems to realize what’s happening before his body as by the time he finally realizes what’s happening hospital staff is already holding him back from trying to charge into the pod room.

 

He nearly punches the orderly trying to calm him down as Ouma’s screams rip through the halls of the hospital.

 

* * *

 

 

If Kaito hadn’t considered himself some kind of protector to Ouma than he sure as hell did now as he stood in front of Kokichi’s hospital room glaring at one of danganronpa’s representatives giving a definite ‘no Ouma wasn’t up for a camera crew to burst into his room and have an interview on the first day he’s been awake'.

 

It took Maki joining him to finally get the employee to back down.

 

“Go I’ll wait out here,” Maki mumbled playing with her hair and Kaito felt a wave of gratitude as he stepped inside Ouma’s room knowing that she’d stop any threat from coming near them.

 

Ouma almost looks like he’s drowning in the gifts surrounding him that fill the room, from what Kaito’s heard there are even more on the way as fans celebrate the final contestant waking up. He’s pretty sure Ouma’s made the news.

 

With a sigh Kaito moves a gift basket off a chair and sits down to do the same thing he’s done every day for the past six months, wait.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kaito had been imaging what he would say to Ouma multiple times coming up with questions and speeches but all that seems to disappear and Ouma’s eyes flicker open with confusion and uncertainty somehow looking more fragile than ever.

 

Ouma tries to speak but gets raspy coughs for his trouble and Kaito practically falls over himself trying to give him water and reassure him before hospital staff push him out of the room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kaito almost feels like Kokichi’s shadow as he hovers over the other boy as he struggles to eat, struggles to walk, struggles to do most things as he seems to try and fit his utter bewilderment at everything under that mask of his.

 

Kokichi seems uncertain around him and practically uncomfortable around Shuichi but after Maki had blurted out an apology and Kokichi had disappeared into a room with Iruma and Gonta for a while, the shadows under his eyes seem to lessen

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kaito had felt so useless back when Kokichi had still been in his pod; he’s not sure why he thought he’d be any less useless when Kokichi woke up. It wasn’t enough that Kokichi’s body had been messed up by everything but the fact that even his mind hadn’t escaped harm stung.

 

Claustrophobia, Kokichi was claustrophobic now.

 

It almost felt wrong in a sense, Kokichi was nimble and small to squeeze into tight spaces and hide in air vents and anything else he needed to do to cause mischief and chaos, but he couldn’t do that anymore.

 

Because of Kaito.

 

They’d found out by accident, Kaito had wheeled Kokichi into the elevator with Maki and Shuichi trailing him and suddenly when the elevator doors shut Kokichi had began to breath as if he was drowning, breaths becoming quicker and more shallow until he was gasping for air Kaito completely frozen not even understanding what was happening let alone what to do.

 

Shuichi pauses at his side as he watches Kokichi try to scramble out of his wheelchair and fail due to his body being too weak, muscles unable to support him from lack of use, before moving to kneel beside Kokichi as the smaller boy begins to curl in on himself.

 

"Ouma-kun. Breathe." Shuichi commands in a voice of certainty that Kaito hasn’t heard outside of the class trials

 

Despite how much Kokichi seemed to pride himself in doing the opposite of what people he actually seemed to be trying to follow Shuichi’s instructions, tears springing to the corners of his eyes as the air fails to make its way into his lungs.

 

"I need you to count with me. Can you do that?" Shuichi asks both gently and uncertainly.

 

Kokichi nods and drops his head between his knees, as Shuichi is crouching in front of him gently coaxing him. "Just repeat after me. One."

 

Kokichi’s breathing somehow gets faster, and he shakes his head. Shuichi puts a hand on his arm. "You're okay. Come on. One."

 

Kokichi glares at the arm for a second as if he’s thinking about shaking it off off, but instead seems to decide on focusing on his breathing and sucks a breath in between his teeth. "One," he gets out, and the word ends up being more like four syllables, but it's a sound and it's there and Kaito somehow feels a wave of relief from such a simple number

 

"That's great. Keep going. Two." Shuichi encourages with a determined nod.

 

"T-t-two," Kokichi gasps, and then three, and four, and by the time he has counted to ten, the elevator doors have opened, Maki’s rushed out and Kokichi is breathing again.

 

When the hospital staff burst in Kokichi’s shaking has stopped as Shuichi steps aside and begins explaining that Kokichi had a panic attack. Kaito watches his sidekick resolve the situation and feels a familiar prickle of jealousy.

 

* * *

 

 

“Momota-kun are you angry at me?” Saihara asks uncertainly after Kokichi’s first attack reaching for a hat that’s no longer there. Kaito paused in shock, why the hell would Kaito be angry at Shuichi? He was the one that had managed to actually do something.

 

“What are you talking about?” Kaito asks in confusion as Shuichi looks down in something resembling shame.

 

“I- I knew Ouma-kun was having a panic attack and I, I paused for a second before helping him,” Shuichi admitted staring at the floor as what he just said sunk in.

 

“Oh,”

 

“Yeah…”

 

Kaito knew the moment of silence he took as he shoved down some bitter emotions was too long, was probably too worrying but Kaito needed to take a minute before collecting himself and encouraging Shuichi with a thumbs up,

 

“What's important is that you decided to help him,” Kaito said both for himself and Shuichi who looked both slightly relieved and still a bit nervous as they walked down the halls in silence for a few moments before Kaito spoke up again.

 

“...Do you think you can teach me how to do that though?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Apparently every season of contestants living arrangements after the game follow a trend; the contestants all get one big house together, they break up into smaller groups or cliques or they all go their separate ways their memories from their respective games too painful for the reminder they give each other.

 

While most of them are all on some level still caught up with their various bullshit and awkwardness from the game Kaito’s glad they haven’t all gone their separate ways completely. It’s not sixteen people crammed into one house but at least everyone is paired up with someone. Except for Shirogane because fuck her.

 

Rantarō chose to live with that Kotobuki girl that was one of the two ‘survivors’ of the second game which Kaito can respect even if something in him still feels a bit of disappointment at being unable to tell if Amami was really part of their group or not but for now Kaito’s decided that he is, the mysterious adventurer just as messed up from the game as the rest of them especially memory wise though from what he hears that’s getting better. He’s called Kotobuki ‘Ushiromiya’ a while back and apparently that was her name in the game. She’d changed it to stay out of public eye as much as possible.

 

Kaito wondered if he’d ever have to change his name to deal with all the hassle Danganronpa has given him but he can’t imagine it. No matter what anyone says he’s Kaito Momota luminary of the stars!

 

Still Amami being in good hands and Tsumugi doing who knows what Kaito’s glad that the group is sticking together. Angie and Shingūji are weirdly enough living together, which should be a cause for concern, but Tojo is with them so she should stop them from doing anything too crazy and Iruma and Kiibo were living together with Gonta and Hoshi. Though all their houses had a spare room for Hoshi, it made him smile at the thought of the tennis player who had been convinced he had nothing to live for now had several places to call home.

 

Kaito would admit he’d always been a bit of a social butterfly so it shouldn’t be surprised that his group was the biggest one but for some reason he still was. Kokichi would probably make fun of him if he voiced this however but he was still reeling over how this all happened.

 

At first Kaito didn’t really care about living arrangements other than his plan to stick with Kokichi, those months he spent by the liar’s bedside just waiting for the smaller boy to wake up he’d promised he wasn’t going to let Kokichi crawl back in his shell. In his bad moments when physical therapy was too hard and Kokichi’s frustration of *still* not being able to walk on his own got to him the liar had accused Kaito of simply trying to ease his own guilt. That wasn’t it and he should know it but Kaito couldn’t fully blame him for thinking it, it’s just after everything that happened in the hanger leaving Kokichi alone left a pit in his stomach.

 

So whether the smaller boy liked it or not Kaito was sticking with him! But then it turned out that Shuichi and Harumaki wanted to stick with Kaito which he didn’t mind he’d be glad to have his sidekicks with him! But then it turned out Yumeno was coming with his sidekicks the three ‘survivors’ sticking together and Chabashira obviously followed Yumeno and Akamatsu who had grown especially close to Chabashira during their time in the hospital followed the Aikido master and that’s how the seven of them all started living together.

 

Not that he minded it was great but seven high-schoolers under one roof was just asking for drama he thought as he watched the awkward air between Shuichi and Akamatsu across from the kitchen.

 

He’d just wanted to get a cup of coffee.

 

* * *

 

 

They were getting better, or at least Kaito believed they were. Kokichi was walking again and though he was forcing him to take his meds and go to therapy Kokichi was gradually looking like he was more at peace with himself.

 

Shuichi and Akamatsu were trying to sort out their bullshit or at least the air between them wasn’t so tense.

 

Everyone in the house was talking more, smiling more and though interviews, and photo shoots and panels and responsibilities were something actively working against their progress they were all getting better.

 

At least Kaito thought so as he help Kokichi’s hand while he turned off the TV the latest character poll putting Kokichi in the number one slot once again.

 

* * *

 

 

The day started like any other they’re all talking, all eating breakfast and making their own plans for the day. Shuichi walked in and passed along their mail hesitantly giving Kokichi a heavy letter and everyone’s movements slow at the sight of the all too familiar logo.

 

They all seem to share a frown and Kokichi dramatically rolls his eyes as he reaches over and opens the envelope though Kaito spots the flicker of worry that flashes through his eyes.

 

After all this time Kaito’s still not sure if those rare moments are because Kokichi let’s his mask down at least a little bit around them or if Kaito’s simply gotten that good at reading the smaller boy. Maybe it was a mix of both.

 

He watches Kokichi’s eyes skim the letter, and then skim it again and again each time looking more and more panicked, looking more and more distressed before his face goes blank and the letter slips from his grip.

 

Kokichi looks seconds away from another panic attack the rest of the houses occupants are by Kokichi’s side as Kaito picks up Kokichi’s letter and reads…

 

Kaito would swear he felt his heart shatter.

 

* * *

 

 

_Dear Ouma Kokichi,_

_According to the contract Ouma Kokichi, the participant of 53rd season of Danganronpa is obliged to follow the condition of participation in future Danganronpa events and as such will be required to participate in the next chapter of Danganronpa’s history._

_Team Danganronpa is pleased to inform the renewal of the series with the latest upcoming season Danganronpa Re:Birth!  
_

_Fifth-teen participants have been chosen to take part in this season with a fan favorite from the previous season being decided to come back for this very special season of Danganronpa the survey to select the sixteenth participant took place while auditions were still being held and Team Danganronpa would like to congratulate you on listing as number one in the polls._

_We are pleased to inform you that you have _been chosen as the sixteenth student of the next season and we look forward to your participation.__

_More information for the participants can be found below with information on the setting and general backstory of each participant’s character. Also found below is a list of Team Danganronpa recommended doctors suggested for the surgery to support your upcoming character design…._

**Author's Note:**

> Finally got this out! It only took like eight months, this might be my biggest writing project I've ever planned and I'm honestly really nervous I'm not sure if I can do the story I've planned in my head justice but I'll try. This fic is going to cover leading up to Re:Birth as well as Kaito's side of the story watching the new killing game and reactions to every Re:Birth character waking up and there will be another fic of Re:Birth's killing game. Kokichi is planned to be a survivor don't worry.
> 
> I'm really excited for this I love that April Fools 
> 
> Re:Birth will cover 'canon' so there's still the 'twist' with Ayumu, Yodogawa is still actually a hitman, Mikoto is the SHSL Secret Agent and Akira is still the mastermind, and 1st chapter's motive victim and culprit are left unchanged.
> 
> As for Kokichi's 'redesign' he's been given his Beta C design and the surgery mentioned is to change one of his eye colors to give him heterochromia.


End file.
